Shaved Ice
by lilkorea
Summary: Sanada Genichiro is often thinking about the summer he spent at the beach on his family vacation where he met a rather odd girl who freely spoke her mind and surfs in any condition. And to make things complicated they go to the same high school!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The summer before my first year of high school, I fell in love with the most extraordinary girl. Her name was Mikai, and the day we first met was when there was a storm watch alert the day before the surfing competition at Kagoshima in the Kyushu prefecture. She was joining in with the other extreme surfers, taking advantage of the monstrous waves that were crashing into the beach. I only happened across them while I was on my way back to my parents' beach house from the convenience store, running errands for my mother.

The way Mikai and I met was by mere coincidence.

She hit me with her surf board. How? I'm not quite sure, but it did force me to drop my bag of groceries.

"Oh, geez! I'm sorry, man! I didn't mean to hit you! I tripped over my sandals because the band snapped!" The sound of her voice was slightly muffled by the crashing waves and the blowing winds. But it was clear enough for me to hear the clarity of her sweet voice.

I rubbed the back of my head with my hand, knowing that there will be a sore welt. When I finally looked up a moment later I didn't expect to see a foreigner with Japanese features.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, holding my head with her two hands, feeling over the sore spot on my head. "Man, you're gonna have a major headache later. Hey, I know! Wanna surf with us?"

What a strange girl, I thought. Touching a complete stranger and then inviting them out as if we were old friends.

"Thank you for the offer, but I must get home." I said, picking up my bags of groceries and then standing up to my full height. "Besides, there's a storm watch today, you should also be heading home."

"But storms are the best surfing conditions."

I blinked at her. Not only was her reply quick and to the point, but she was also quite tall for a girl. Much taller than the girls I went to school with. "Isn't it dangerous to be out there in this weather?"

"That's what makes it fun? What's life without a little danger?"

Again I blink and am a bit awestruck by her honest reply. Usually when girls spoke to me it was always in a shy manner and they always seemed to have some sort of hidden agenda. But not her. She just said things with a straight face.

"Well…then please be careful out there." I said as rain began to sprinkle from the sky, steadily becoming heavier.

She smiled at me brightly, which made my heart skip a beat and I felt my cheeks warming.

"Thanks! Hey, when you get the time, you should come to the snack bar later. That's where I'm working part-time this summer."

"Ah…maybe…"

"Great! It's called the Beach Bum Bar."

"Oi! Kai! We're waitin' on you!" called out one of the guys she had come to the beach with.

"I'll be right there!" she called back.

Kai…what a strange name for a girl. It's also a bit too masculine, but in a way it suited her. Kai…I had briefly wondered at the moment if it was her first name or last name.

"Well, I hope to see you around so I can give you a proper apology." she said before running off with her surf board under her arm towards her waiting friends.

While watching her run off towards the raging ocean, all I could think about was how she smiled at me with no reserves…

And then I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock ringing.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Sanada-kun." greeted Yukimura Seiichi, Sanada Genichiro's classmate and old friend from their junior high days.<p>

"Ah. Good morning, Yukimura-kun." Sanada greeted back as they met only a street block away from their school.

It was the start of their senior year of high school, and already the new flock of freshmen were overwhelming. Already Sanada could see the freshmen girls ogling and it made his skin crawl. Never in his life had he shown any interest in a girl, and often he wondered if there was something wrong with himself. Especially after being confessed by random girls he's never known to have attended the school, and they would often be pretty, but he never found himself to be attracted to them in any way.

Accept to one.

"Aloha, guys!" came a cheerful voice from behind the two teens as a girl jumped in between them, locking both her arms with theirs.

"Good morning, Amane-chan." Yukimura greeted Amane Mikai, the girl Sanada Genichiro secretly was in love with since that summer. And just seeing her again reminded him of the dream he had of their first meeting.

"I've missed you guys over spring break!" Mikai said, walking between the two boys.

"How was the competition in Hawaii?" Yukimura asked.

"It was a lot of fun. I got to meet a bunch of surfers and a few pros who gave some great advice about how to make most of the waves to score the biggest points. And I got stung by a jellyfish on the last day of the competition."

"What?" Sanada gasped, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, luckily one of the guys had drank a lot of soda so he was kind enough to p—"

"A simple _yes_ is enough for me."

Yukimura stifled a laugh.

"You can be such a prude, Gen-kun." Mikai pouted.

"And you have no shame." Sanada sighed.

"My, my, if I weren't on the inside I would think you two were lovers." Yukimura said in a teasing tone.

Sanada turned his face away in an attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks. It didn't help that Mikai was playing along with Yukimura and hugged Sanada's arm.

"We'll save you a seat at our spring wedding." Mikai joked.

"I'll look forward to it." Yukimura said.

"Don't say things like that and let go of my arm," Sanada said, trying to pull free from Mikai even though he didn't want to. "People will misunderstand."

"What'd I tell ya, you're such a prude." Mikai said, walking ahead of them where she met up with two of her classmates at the school gate.

"Oh dear, homeroom hasn't even started yet and already you two had a fight." Yukimura continued to tease.

Sanada sighed and silently prayed for mercy from this suffering.

While sitting through the opening ceremony to welcome the new students, Sanada wasn't at all paying attention. His mind wandering back to that summer…

* * *

><p>Once the storm had passed and all was somewhat calm I was still thinking about the girl from the beach, Kai. It had only been two days since that meeting and I should have been able to forget, or at least move on with my life instead of replaying those few minutes.<p>

And so I find myself standing outside the Beach Bum Bar, and judging from the outside, it wasn't very popular and it was in poor shape. I never bothered coming to places like these, since I normally stay in. So when I was just about to head back I turn and was surprised to be facing the reason I bothered to go out of my way.

"Oh, hey! You're that guy from the other day." she said with that bright smile that I couldn't forget.

"Uh…un…" I didn't know why I couldn't form a simple sentence, nor did I understand why my face felt so warm. I had vaguely thought that it must have been the heat of the day.

"You alright? You look a bit over heated. Come inside." she offered, again being forward by grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. It was a small interior with slightly dim lighting and only a handful of customers, all of which were elderly folk.

"Ba-chan! I'm here for my shift and I brought another customer!" she announced loudly. Her personality was upbeat. Not at all fake and forced like I'm used to seeing. "Have a seat, I'll be right back."

Having no choice, I sat down at a small table that wobbled and the chair creaked under my weight, making me slightly nervous that it would break any second. It was stuffy and smelled a bit of dried seaweed. It was obvious that there was no air conditioning and that the building was as old as this small town and I wondered why Kai was working part time here.

"Thanks for waiting," I heard her voice say. When I looked up to see her coming out from the back carrying a chipped bowl and set it down in front of me on the wobbly table.

"What is this?" I asked, staring down at the lump of shaved ice swimming in some syrup and what I hoped wasn't spoiled red bean paste.

"It's shaved ice with honey and red bean. You strike me as the type who doesn't like super sweet things so I used mildly sweet toppings." she said to me.

"It's true I don't like sweets, but…this is geezer food." I said.

She snorted at me and then giggled. "Just try it, it's pretty good on a hot day."

I picked up the spoon that was conveniently stuck in the lump of honey covered ice and took a spoonful into my mouth. The cool and mild sweetness of it was refreshing. I had always disliked sweet things, I even disliked adding sugar to my tea. But I actually liked this. Was it because it was served by Kai?

"Hey, what's your name?" she asked.

"Hm?" I looked up at her. She was resting her chin in her palms, watching me. It was a bit embarrassing.

"I forgot to ask that day when I knocked your head with my board. By the way, the shaved ice is my apology."

"Sanada Genichiro," I said.

"I'm Amane Mikai, though my surfing buddies call me Kai for short." she said with that bright smile. "You can call me Kai, too, Gen-kun."

"Gen—" she even had the nerve to call me by my first name, and even shortened it! On top of that, she even gave me permission to call her Kai. My face felt hot.

"Eat some more, you look hot."

I cleared my throat, feeling uncomfortable for no reason and ate another spoonful.

* * *

><p>"Mikai-chan, let's have lunch together." said Atobe Keigo. It was by the cruel hand of Fate that Atobe from Hyotei Gakuen, and Sanada were in the same class together. Luckily, they weren't sitting anywhere near each other, but it was always a silent battle between them ever since Atobe set his sights on Mikai their freshmen year.<p>

"Mimi-chan, Atobe-kun is asking you to have lunch with him." whispered one of Mikai's friends in a giddy voice. "And in front of the whole class!"

"Don't be shy, Mikai-chan. Ore-sama knows that it is an honor to even be in my presence." Atobe said.

Sanada was sitting in the seat behind Mikai, grinding his teeth, irritated by the nerve of this spoiled rich boy.

"I recall saying this the first time you asked me this and I'll say it again: It's not as interesting when it talks." Mikai said.

"Mimi-chaaaan!"

"Still with the sarcastic brush off." Atobe said, not at all deterred.

Sanada phased out from listening to their "conversation" as gazed out the window and allowed his mind to wander off again back to that summer. Lately, for the past week before school started up he had been thinking a lot about the past.

* * *

><p>I didn't expect to spend my summer vacation out on the beach everyday with a girl. Especially when the girl made my heart race like it would during an intense tennis match, but the adrenaline rush made me giddy and uncertain of myself.<p>

I would normally just sit in the sand and watch Kai surf on the high waves. It was almost enchanting to watch how she would glide over the wild waters, the sun and water making her shimmer and sparkle. In such a short amount of time, I began to open up to someone and become rather comfortable around. Kai was the second person to know exactly what was on my mind and tell me without hesitation on what I needed to hear. Yukimura-san was the first to light a fire within me about pursuing tennis, and Kai made me want to better myself as a man.

"Hey, Gen-kun!" Kai called out to me as she returned to the beach from surfing, her board under her arm. It still struck me how shameless she was about her body, wearing a bikini without any concern of the lecherous stares she got from the other guys on the beach.

"Kai, are you done surfing?" I asked.

"Yeah, it got a little too crowded out there. Too many wave hogs." she said before lightly coughing into her fist.

"Are you coming down with a cold?" I asked while I handed her a towel.

"Nah, I'm fine." she said, taking the towel from me as she set her board on the sand and sat on the blanket next to me. "Aren't you bored just sitting here and watching everyone else having fun?"

"I'm alright."

"Hey, wanna learn how to surf?"

"Not really."

"Why not? It's fun."

"Surfing isn't something I'm interested in trying."

"Then what are your interests?"

"I like playing tennis."

"Really? That's surprising, I never would have guessed you played that type of sport. Can you teach me how to play?"

I paused, almost unbelieving of my own ears. I would never have guessed that she would ask me to teach her to play tennis. I was also slightly touched. And I felt my face feel hot.

"Uh…s-sure."

"Great! Let's make it a date and go tomorrow after my shift at the snack bar." she said, making the arrangements on her own without asking if it were fine with me. But then again, it's not as if I had any plans. "Pick me up at two."

* * *

><p>"Ooooiii, Sanada-kuuuun." called out a monotone voice through the window that separated the classroom to the hallway.<p>

Sanada looked up from his notes and instantly suppressed a grimace when he saw who it was calling for him. It was Hikaru Amane, a.k.a. Davide, with his hair styled by hard wax to keep its form and his deadpan expression looking down at him.

"What is it, Amane-kun?" Sanada asked.

"Did you see the latest sports issue?" Davide asked, holding out the lasted issue to Sanada, already open to the centerfold. Sanada glanced at it briefly before having a double-take. The centerfold was a full coverage of Mikai surfing and the article was dedicated to "Rising Young Surfers."

"What's the reason for showing this to me?" Sanada asked.

"You've got a thing for my sister right? This is just my way of saying that I'm alright with you staring at her photos wearing only a bikini." said Davide in a matter-of-fact tone. "But that's about it. I still don't approve of you dating my sister."

"For the last time, we aren't dating." Sanada said.

When Sanada first found out that Davide and Mikai were siblings (and twins at that!), it had come as a surprise. But when he got past the surprise, he began to see the similarities. Their hair color, their eyes, the bluntness of their speech, and they were taller than their average peers (though the height between them was a big difference). It was even more of a surprise that they were all attending the same high school together.

"What are you doing, Hikaru? What is that?" Mikai asked, appearing beside her brother, surprising both boys. She snatched the magazine from Davide and her mouth dropped and then slapped it across her brother's head. "Don't go around showing this off to people! Why can't you be normal and just share your porn mags with your friends!"

"But embarrassing you is so much more fun than beating off." said Davide, only to be kicked over the head two seconds later by Kurobane "Bane" Harukaze.

"Quit causing trouble, class is about to start." said Bane as he dragged Davide away, leaving many confused students in their wake.

"That stupid brother of mine." Kai said as she entered the classroom and took her seat in front of Sanada's.

"It's a good picture of you," Sanada said.

"You think so?" Kai asked, turning around in her seat to look at Sanada.

"Oh? What a good picture of Mikai-chan. You're so photogenic." said Atobe, peeking over Mikai's shoulder to look at the article.

Mikai slapped the magazine in Atobe's face as she turned back around in her seat. "It's rude to look over someone's shoulder, y'know." she said.

"So cold on such a lovely morning." Atobe said as he went to his seat with Kabaji close behind.

Not even a week into the new term and things were slowly becoming chaotic once again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It's been awhile since I've written a PoT fic, and I feel kinda guilty for not finishing my first one (I can't make any promises that it'll be finished because I'm debating if I should continue it with more chapters or simply conclude it all in one big finale of a chapter), but I can promise that I won't stop writing. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review to encourage me to continue with this story.<strong>

**I have been toying with the idea of writing a PoT fic with surfing in it, but I didn't know which characters to bring in, and on top of that, I had been wondering on how to build the relationships and the story arc and then I came up with this. I'm not a surfer but I do think its an awesome sport and there have been several PoT episodes where they're at the beach and so that's what gave me the idea in the first place.**

**Ciao for now!  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

*Cough cough cough*

"You okay, Kai? Are you coming down with a cold?" Davide asked as he, Mikai, and Bane walked together to school, since Bane conveniently lived just around the block from the Amane twins.

"No, it's all this pollen in the air, its agitating my asthma." Mikai said.

"Did you pack your inhaler?" Davide asked.

"It's in my bag because a certain someone kept bugging me about it all morning." Mikai said, "Honestly, it's like you only watch the morning news to check on the weather condition."

"Ha ha. It's so nice to have a concerned brother." Bane said in good humor.

"Good thing the weekend is almost here, I can't wait to go to the beach and put in some training." Mikai said, "You guys will be busy with tennis club, right?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Wish we could go to the beach with you, too, it's been awhile since I've surfed." said Bane.

"It's fine, I'll be meeting up with some friends at the station so I won't be alone." Mikai said.

"You should just stay home like a good girl." said Davide.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would."

"Today's the relay race, participation is mandatory." said Bane, "Your asthma might give you trouble if you run, maybe you should ask to sit out."

"But you said it yourself, participation is mandatory." Mikai said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Plus I'm one of the few girls who can run the whole thing."

"It would seem some of our classmates decided to skip today." Yukimura said as he stood outside with the rest of his peers in their P.E. uniforms. Sanada was standing next to him, ready to get the pointless marathon over with.

"Maybe I should've listened to Hi-chan and stayed home today." Mikai said, coming up to the two teens.

"You don't look so well, have you caught a cold?" Yukimura asked.

"Worse, my allergies are acting up." Mikai said before coughing into her fist. "What a rotten day."

"Will all of the girls get ready to start the run!" called the gym teacher.

"Well, I'll be seeing you guys after this." Mikai said, heading off to join the others girls. At the shot of the race gun, the girls were off and the guys were being lined up to start their run.

"Oi, Sanada-kun," called Davide in a monotone voice as he came to stand by Sanada. "Did you see my sister?"

"The girls have already begun the relay race, why?" Sanada asked.

"Oh? Darn, I wanted to make sure Kai was alright because she said her asthma was acting up this morning. I was gonna give her her inhaler before the race started. Guess I'm too late." said Davide.

"Amane-chan is asthmatic?" Yukimura asked, "It'd be a problem if she collapses out there."

"Boys! Get ready!" called the gym teacher before firing the second shot.

Sanada was now extremely anxious to find Mikai, especially if she really was suffering from her asthma acting up. Running would only make it worse. What was more distressing was that the girls were running in the opposite direction of the boys, which meant that somewhere in the halfway mark was when he'd see Mikai. Hopefully she would be fairing much better than what he was thinking.

"Those two seem to be in a hurry," said Atobe, referring to Sanada and Davide who were in the lead of the boys group.

"Apparently Amane-chan has been having asthmatic problems this morning and her brother pointed out that she didn't take her inhaler." Yukimura said, who was running beside Atobe in good pace.

"Asthma problems? And Sanada plans to get to the damsel in distress first? That's something I cannot allow." Atobe said before putting more power into his legs and passing up the other students ahead of him to catch up to Sanada and Davide.

Yukimura couldn't help but stifle a laugh as he continued to run at his own pace.

* * *

><p>The first time I learned about Kai being an asthmatic was the summer of our second year of high school. It was a class trip to the mountains and we all had to hike up the trail to the temple that we would all be staying at for the week. It was a hot day and I had noticed that Kai's brother, Amane-kun, was sticking close by her, as if worried that something might happen.<p>

It wasn't until we were halfway up to the temple when a few of the girls in my class screamed and a teacher rushed down from the front of the group to the scene. Kai had collapsed and was struggling for air. I remember feeling my body go cold at the sight.

We all had to stop while the school nurse, who came along on the trip, looked over Kai while her brother rummaged through her back pack and pulled out her inhaler. I had never known that Kai suffered from asthma attacks, seeing as how she had always seemed so healthy and full of energy. But when I had stopped to think about it, I had never seen her do any exercise activities other than surfing. And even then she would seem breathless afterwards, taking longer than the others to catch her breath.

I had never felt so helpless.

And having witnessed how her brother took action to bring out her inhaler, it made me feel worse for not noticing.

* * *

><p>Sanada, Davide, and Atobe had passed the halfway point in the relay race, but they saw no signs of Kai. They had run past most of the girls by that time, but still no Kai. Running further up the road, they saw two of their classmates and Kai was with them.<p>

"Help us! Mimi-chan can't breathe!" one of them cried, both panicking on what to do.

"Kai! Hey, can hear me?" Davide called out, reaching his twin sister first and gripping her shoulders. Kai was choking for air, her lips were turning blue from lack of oxygen and her face was ashen.

"Hi…cha…" Kai couldn't even say her brother's name as she wheezed and gasped for air, clenching a fist over her chest.

"Here, I brought your inhaler. Breathe." Davide said, pulling out the said inhaler and holding the mouth piece to his sister's lips. Kai grasped at it and sprayed the corticosteroids and inhaled at the same time. She repeated the action twice before her breathing calmed and color returned to her face.

"Wah! Davide-kun is so cool!" the girls squealed.

"Sanada-kun, take my sister to the infirmary at school." Davide said, standing up.

"Aren't you going to take her? She's your sister." Sanada said.

"I would, but I have to finish the race so I don't fail. I've skipped gym too many times." Davide said before running off to finish the run.

"You two better finish as well, class will be over soon." Atobe said to the two girls.

"Alright. Feel better Mimi-chan." they said before leaving to catch up with the rest of their class.

"Climb onto my back," Sanada said, crouching in front of Mikai with his back to her. "I'll carry you back."

Mikai didn't argue against it as Sanada had thought she would when she obediently climbed onto his back and hugged her arms around his shoulders. Standing up, he walked back to the school with Mikai on his back and Atobe at his side.

"Thanks, you guys." she said.

"Next time you feel your asthma acting up, be sure to keep your inhaler close. It'd be bad if no one been around." Sanada said.

"Okay, I will."

* * *

><p>"You don't have to walk me home, Gen-kun." Mikai said, "Besides, you're missing tennis practice, won't you get in trouble?"<p>

"Its fine, I've already explained it to the captain." Sanada said, referring to Yukimura who was the team captain. "Plus your brother got into trouble again and is in detention."

"But still…it's not your responsibility to look after me and people will misunderstand with you walking me home."

"What others think isn't what's important right now."

"You're such a hypocrite, Gen-kun. We both know how we feel about each other but we agreed to not date yet, and even with that understanding its hard for me to know what you're thinking sometimes."

"Kai, I'm not trying to be cruel, I'm just putting our goals into consideration."

"I know that…but it feels like its just an excuse. Our goals, college exams, career aspirations…all of that seems to be in our way. _Your_ way. I've already made it clear that I want us to start dating for real but you keep telling me the same excuse."

"Kai…"

"I'm tired of putting my feelings for you on hold, I'm tired of waiting."

"Kai…I…"

Mikai walked ahead of Sanada to the front gate of her house and looked back at him with a sad expression. "Thanks for today, Gen-kun." she said and then went through the gates and hurried inside her house to hide.

Never before had Sanada felt so depressed.

The next day was the tennis match between K-High School and T-High School and of course Sanada was unable to lift his spirits for the match all thanks to the "break up" between him and Kai. Though they weren't officially dating it still felt all too real, and it didn't help that Davide was bothering him about it.

"Ooooiii, Sanada-kuuun, what's up between you and my sister? She's been actin' super depressed yesterday and then again this morning." said Davide, not bothering to keep his voice down for their teammates to hear.

"Nothing happened," Sanada said, using ounce of will power to keep his temper bottled up and saved to let out during his match.

"That's not what I read in Kai's diary, she wrote that she decided to stop waiting for you and move on. And then this morning when she left for the station, she forgot to pack her inhaler. She usually takes it with her whenever she goes surfing, but then again, she can be forgetful of that kinda stuff. Not to mention—" Davide was cut off by a swift kick to the back of the head by Bane and then dragged away to the farthest part of the bench to put distance between him and Sanada.

Sanada pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Now he not only had yesterday's "break up" in mind, but also the fact that Mikai forgot her inhaler again. Was the universe trying to make his life difficult? Thanks to that, he had to concentrate more on bottling up his frustrations.

It was a maddening experience for him. Never in his life had he felt so agitated over anything or anyone, but ever since Mikai came into his life, his self-discipline and reserve quickly crumbled brick by brick. And he feebly kept repairing it, too stubborn to change.

His match against his opponent was not enough to let out his frustration, his head wasn't in the game. He was fully aware of himself and his feelings, but he couldn't let go of the look Mikai had given him. It was a quick win for Sanada, but he couldn't bring himself to savor the idea of taking his team one step closer to victory.

A cell phone had gone off during the recess between matches and Davide answered. "Hello? Ah, is that so? Uh-huh. If you're going to do that then buy me something to eat."

"Who was it?" Bane asked, who was sitting next to Davide, drinking from his water bottle.

"No one." Davide said with nonchalance.

When the first doubles match began, Davide and Bane entered the court together. And as always, Davide's long reaching racket caused the crowd to whisper. It was within legal limits for his racket to be so long, so there was no need for him to worry about breaking any rules. The only issue on his mind was that because he woke up late, he had to skip breakfast or else he'd miss the bus. So he was starving and hoped to end the game quickly so he could get something to eat.

While the matches went on Davide was surprised to have a convenience store bag be dropped onto his lap. From the bag he looked up to see his sister, Mikai, standing over him with her arms crossed.

"My dear sweet sister, you do care." Davide said, hugging Mikai's waist.

"Yeah, yeah." Mikai said.

"What happened to your trip to the beach?" Bane asked.

"Koko and Chihiru both canceled on me. Koko sprained her knee and Chihiru's mom needed an extra hand at the flower shop. I would've gone on my own but I forgot my inhaler at home." Mikai said.

"What'd you bring me?" Davide asked, releasing Mikai to sift through the contents of the plastic bag. He was disappointed to find that all Mikai bought was rice balls and a bottle of orange juice. "Hey, what's with the cheap snacks?"

"If you don't like it then don't eat." Mikai said.

"Amane-chan? What a surprise to see you here." said Yukimura as he and Sanada walked over to the trio. "I had thought that you went to the beach today, what changed?"

"My friends bailed on me last minute." Mikai said.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you've made the effort to come out here." Yukimura said.

"Well, I did plan on going home but Hi-chan asked me to buy him food." Mikai said.

"Aren't you lucky, Davide-kun, to have such a kind-hearted sister." Bane teased.

"More like a cheap sister, the expiration dates on these rice balls are from yesterday. Same goes for the juice!" Davide said, "Are you trying to make me sick, Kai?"

"As if an expiration date would stop you." Mikai said dryly, "Anyways, I'm gonna head home now, listening to my brother whine is agitating my asthma."

"I'm not whining, I have a legitimate reason of complaint." Davide said as he opened the plastic wrap for the day-old onigiri.

"And yet you're still going to it." Mikai said.

"Kai, why not stay for the rest of the game? It's almost over, just one match left." Bane said.

"Who's playing" Mikai asked.

"Sanada." Bane said, pointing to the end of the court to where Sanada held his racket and was mentally preparing for his match.

Shrugging her shoulders, Mikai sat down on the bleacher to watch. "Sure, I'll stay since it's the last match."

* * *

><p>"Wow! What a run-down dump of a court!" Mikai said aloud, once again speaking her mind. I had just picked her up from her part-time job and together we walked to the public tennis court. It was well-weathered with the one green court now turning a rusty brown from neglect, the net strings had mold growing on it and the pungent smell of seaweed was very unforgiving.<p>

But I was going to keep my promise and show Kai how to play tennis.

"Yes, it does leave much to be desired but we can still use it." I said.

"Well, then let's get started. What are the rules?" she asked, turning to look at me expectantly. And I did something I know I rarely do…I smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope this chapter was semi-satisfying, just hang in there for the next one and write me some reviews!<br>**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I had been surprised to see Kai at the entrance ceremony of my high school. I almost didn't recognize her in the school uniform, mostly because I remembered her as the girl who always wore raggy t-shirts and cut-off shorts or in a bikini. She wouldn't have stood out to me if she hadn't been so tall and tanned.

My summer love was at the same school as me.

When it came to find out which class I would be in I was more interested in finding Kai, mostly to confirm if I really was her. To my private delight it was and the look of recognition lighting up in her eyes and face when she saw me only elevated my feelings.

"Gen!" she said with excitement as she came up to me. She still carried the smell of the ocean on her. It was so clean and crisp that it drew me in when she hugged me tightly. "I didn't know you were going to this school! What a great coincidence!"

"Uh, yeah." I said, feeling at a loss for words as I felt her pull away from me. "What brings you to Tokyo?"

"Oh, right, my dad got relocated by his company so we're back in the city. Hey, you're gonna join the tennis team, right? I bet you'll meet my twin. His name is Hikaru but his friends call him Davide."

Davide? That sort of rang a bell but nothing came up.

"Hey, what class are you in?" she asked me. I had to push through the wall of bodies to look at the list of names and found mine before I moved away and back to Kai.

"I'm in class 1-B." I said and I felt my heart flutter at the bright smile she gave me.

"Me, too! Let's head over together!" she said, taking my arm. In a panic I pulled away but immediately regretted it when I saw the look of surprise on her face. I felt my cheeks heat up, embarrassed at myself. She just smiled, seeming to understand what I was feeling.

We walked over to our classroom together and stepping through the door I immediately knew that my first year was going to be awful. In the middle of the classroom, surrounded by the girls of our class was none other than Atobe Keigo. He instantly took notice of me and for a second (though it felt much longer), our eyes locked and the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. He broke the eye contact first to shift his gaze at Mikai who stood next to me, and putting on his charming and irritating smile, he sauntered up to her, taking her hand and kissing it.

"A beautiful flower has entered the garden." he said to her and it grated on my self-control. "Will this lovely flower do Ore-sama the honor of joining him to lunch today?"

I dreaded hearing the answer, wondering if Mikai will get swept away by this pompous ass.

"Wow, you are less interesting now that you've opened your mouth." was what she said and I snorted in amusement, relieved to know that Mikai wasn't so easily charmed by Atobe after all. Feeling much better I went to take a seat at one of the empty desks. "People like you are better off being used as emergency floatation devices because of all that air you put on."

"Not to worry, Ore-sama will impress you with his prowess." Atobe said, looking confident but I could tell his ego was slightly deflated but Mikai's rejection.

Mikai had simply ignored him as she went to take a seat in front of me just as another student entered the classroom. He was incredibly tall, his hair styled with hard hair wax, and I recognized him immediately from past tennis matches.

Amane Hikaru.

Davide.

There was a pause in the room as the students took in Davide, mostly because he was so tall. He scanned the room until he locked onto Mikai and walked over to her, setting down a wrapped bento on her desk.

"You forgot this at home." he said.

"Oh, right. Thanks, Hikaru." Mikai said. I felt a boiling of jealousy starting to rise up but it quickly began to dissipate when I saw the resemblance between them and recalled Mikai mentioning she had a twin. And then it clicked.

"Next time I won't be so kind and will simply eat the packed lunch kaa-chan makes." he said.

"Tch. You would, too. What class are you in?" Mikai asked.

"I'm in 1-D with Bane-chan." he replied, "Meet us on the track field at lunch time." he then turned to leave.

**xXx**

Sanada was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard his name being called and saw Yukimura approaching him, dressed in a simple blue t-shirt and cargo shorts and thong sandals. It was sweltering summer day as the two teens met up in the shopping district. Both teens already had a layer of sweat on them from the summer heat as they walked down the busy district.

"Have you heard from Kai-chan lately?" Yukimura asked.

"Yeah, I got an email from her this morning saying that she made it to Hawaii safe and had already got her entry number for the surfing competition." Sanada said.

"Already? Well she certainly doesn't waste any time." Yukimura said, "So, since Kai-chan will be back on her birthday are you planning on getting her a gift? After all, you two are so close it's almost as if you're already married."

Sanada knew that his friend was only teasing him but he still couldn't help but blush. In truth, Sanada had already bought Mikai a birthday gift a month earlier and it sat on his desk at home.

"Oh my, it's much too hot today. I envy Kai-chan and her brother for going on vacation to a beach." Yukimura said, "Ah, I meant to tell you earlier—I overheard that Atobe-kun is planning a surprise birthday party for Kai-chan. If I were in your shoes I'd be up in arms about it and do whatever it takes to keep Kai-chan away from him."

"Are you going to keep teasing me about my relationship with Kai?" Sanada asked, slightly annoyed. His fairer friend merely chuckled in amusement.

**xXx**

Mikai was the first girl I've watched fireworks with, which was at the school festival. Mikai and I had escaped to hide in the tennis courts. She was hiding from Atobe and I was hiding from the girls from our class who wanted me to wear an embarrassing outfit to attract more customers to our stall. Mikai and I just talked about useless things like hobbies and future goals while sharing a plate of takoyaki.

I knew that summer we had met, that I had fallen for her. And during that private moment between us, hiding from the world, I fell even deeper for her. She was nothing like the other girls. She wasn't into all of that superficial crap like putting on make-up and styling her hair and acting cute and girlie. She kept true to the tomboyish girl who had hit me over the head and apologized with shaved ice inside a dirty shack.

She shaped my preference for what I wanted in a person I would ever want to be in a relationship with. I had thought about confessing my feelings to her, but I was afraid of her rejecting me. Despite the tough act I put up, I was very vulnerable to rejection by her. The very thought of it made my stomach clench with anxiety. But that night, the most amazing thing happened.

We kissed.

It was my first kiss, and I knew that I was awkward at it. Yet the feel of her soft lips on mine, with the flavor of the sweet and tangy sauce from the takoyaki, had made this first kiss of mine sticky—and slightly gross because we both had octopus breath from our snack.

When we pulled back and looked at each other, it was clear that we both felt awkward. But I was happy that it was with her and nobody else. And I knew then that there could be no one else for me but her. This strange, outspoken girl.

**xXx**

Sanada sat at his desk, his summer homework laying out in front of him. His chin was resting in his palm as his attention was focused on the velvet box sitting at the corner of his desk. His gift for Mikai for her birthday.

He was brought back to reality when his phone began to vibrate with an incoming call. Seeing the caller ID he answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Aloha, Gen-kun!"_ greeted Mikai's voice through the receiver. He could hear people and the sound of splashing water in the background.

"Konbanwa, Kai." I said, "How is the competition so far?"

"_So awesome! I cleared the first round today in record time and then Hikaru and I went on a hike through the trails and he fell into a bees nest! Hikaru had to go to the emergency room to treat his bee stings, luckily they were just honey bees and the swelling has gone down. How-re things back home?"_

"The same, it's just been really hot."

Sanada was really happy to hear Mikai's voice, listening to her stories of her first day on the island paradise and about her surfing. He just liked hearing her talk, the sound of her voice and how enthusiastic she was about surfing and meeting pro-surfers and getting tips from them, he couldn't help but remember why he was in love with her.

He wanted on so many occasions to tell her how he felt but always shied away with the excuse that it wasn't time yet. But he felt like the time was coming and he knew that the longer he waited the faster she'd slip through his fingers.

"Kai…"

"_Yeah?"_

"When you come back I have something important to tell you." he said, hoping he didn't sound nervous as he felt. It was quiet on her end and he started feel a bit panicked by her silence. "It's nothing bad—" he said quickly, "It's actually good—I mean—I hope you'll take it as good—y'know, um, uh…" Never before had he felt like bashing his head into the wall.

"_Hmm…"_ Sanada could have sworn he could hear Mikai grinning. _"Okay. I look forward to this important something you have to tell me. When I get back I'll come over to your place right away. I'll call you first—is that good with you?"_

Sanada let out a breath and smiled. "Yeah, I'll see you then."

Hanging up, Sanada just couldn't wipe the smile from his face. After how they had left things off before Mikai had left with her family to Hawaii, he worried that their relationship was irreparable. Especially how he had disregarded her feelings after the asthma incident during the relay run. Their relationship was put to the test, barely talking and walking to school together in awkward silence. Eating lunch separately and only texting every now and then instead of talking on the phone like normal.

If it hadn't been for Davide into tricking them to meet in the supply shed they would have never made up. Of course Davide's overall intention was in poor taste because he had locked them inside the shed for three class periods, which then sparked the rumor among their classmates that they had played hooky to "hook up."

Sanada looked at the velvet box on his desk again, the smile still on his face. He had to save up his allowance for an entire year to be able to afford his gift to Mikai, and he could only pray that it was all worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It took my two years to update, and I fell so guilty about that. But to be honest, I kinda lost juice for this story because it was originally just a side project to help me get out of a writing slump but after going through the first two chapters I felt inspired to write another chapter. I hope there are still readers interested in this fic. Please review and tell me what you think. Put in your opinion, give me ideas for a plot twist so I can keep writing more chapters!<strong>

**Ciao for now!**


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